The present invention relates to communication systems for providing video and/or data services.
An existing service provider, which may be a video information provider, a data information provider, or a video and data provider, typically connects to a central office with a direct connection. For the information provider to provide service to multiple central offices, additional direct connections to the additional central offices must be provided.
Because each information provider, with existing techniques, must arrange to have their own physical connection to each central office that service is provided to, it becomes difficult and expensive for an information provider to serve a lot of different central offices over a wide area.
For the foregoing reasons, there is a need for an improved broadband communication system and associated method that overcomes the problems and limitations of the prior art.
It is, therefore, an object of the present invention to provide a broadband communication system and associated method that utilizes an asynchronous transfer mode core switch as a point of entry for an information provider.
In carrying out the above objects, a broadband communication system is provided. The system comprises an asynchronous transfer mode (ATM) network, a plurality of central offices, and an asynchronous transfer mode core switch. The plurality of central offices are connected to the asynchronous transfer mode network. The asynchronous transfer mode core switch is connected to the asynchronous transfer mode network. The core switch is connected to each central office to allow an information provider to communicate with the plurality of central offices through the core switch.
The information provider may be a video provider, a data provider, or a video and data provider. As such, the core switch may be connected to at least one of the central offices by at least one OC-3c carrier. Further, the core switch may be connected to at least one of the central offices by at least one OC-12c carrier. Preferably, OC-3c carriers are configured for two-way communication, and OC-12c carriers are configured for one-way communication. Further, as appropriate, the core switch may be connected to at least one of the central offices by at least one OC-3c carrier and further connected by at least one OC-12c carrier.
Further, in carrying out the present invention, a broadband communication system comprising a very high bit rate digital subscriber line (VDSL) asynchronous transfer mode (ATM) network is provided. The system further comprises a plurality of central offices connected to the asynchronous transfer mode network. An asynchronous transfer mode core switch connects the asynchronous transfer mode network to each central office to allow an information provider to communicate with the plurality of central offices through the core switch.
Still further, in carrying out the present invention, a broadband communication method is provided. The method comprises connecting a plurality of central offices to an asynchronous transfer mode network, and connecting a core switch to the asynchronous transfer mode network such that the core switch is connected to each central office. The core switch allows an information provider to communicate with the plurality of central offices through the asynchronous transfer mode network.
The advantages associated with embodiment of the present invention are numerous. For example, systems and methods of the present invention allow multicasting from an information provider to the plurality of central offices. Utilization of ATM multicasting allows for the transmission of a single source, such as a video source, to multiple destinations. The ATM core switch receives a single video input and provides multiple identical copies to multiple outgoing interface ports.
Further, embodiments of the present invention may be configured to provide switched virtual connections (SVC). ATM switched virtual connections allow the customer to select video information in real time, and may even be configured with features such as pause, rewind, and fast forward. Further, embodiments of the present invention allow the core switch to aggregate information received from a plurality of information providers, and to communicate the aggregated information to the plurality of central offices.
Still further, embodiments of the present invention advantageously may be configured to allow the core switch to statistically multiplex information received from a plurality of the information providers. Still further, embodiments of the present invention are advantageous in that a core switch may be utilized to define a point of entry into the asynchronous transfer mode network for video, data, and video/data information providers.
The above object and other objects, features, and advantages of the present invention will be apparent from the following detailed description of the best mode for carrying out the invention when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings.